Emerging Technologies White Papers

The Internet of Things has become an important tool in driving competitive advantage. It has the ability to take analytics to a different level, which can help companies to reduce costs and gain market share. This paper, from SunPower's Nikhil Padhi, highlights several key aspects of test planning during an IoT project. (6 pages)

Robotic automation has become ubiquitous during the past decade, and has the strong potential to reduce costs and improve productivity at factories. During such a project's implementation, testing sometimes gets lost in the shuffle. This paper, from SunPower's Nikhil Padhi, highlights several key aspects of test planning for robotic automation. (6 pages)

Social, mobility, analytics and cloud (SMAC) technologies have dominated discussions in recent days, with companies increasingly adopting these trends to improve productivity and reduce cost in smart factories. Most major software providers offer cloud-based options, and organizations must assess whether applications and infrastructure can be moved to the cloud, and whether they can achieve a return on investment. SunPower's Nikhil Padhi provides a broad-level evaluation approach. (14 pages)

Manufacturing execution systems (MES) are a key application for smart factories. Many companies opt for a home-grown system so they can map custom business process steps, but in recent years, there has been a strong adoption of packaged MES technologies. One challenge has been how to select the appropriate MES. SunPower's Nikhil Padhi outlines several key elements to consider during selection. (14 pages)

Robots and robotic automation are key components of a smart factory. As factories become smarter, robots and resulting automation will play an important role in enhancing productivity and reducing costs. This paper from Nikhil Padhi provides a high-level approach for robotic automation within a factory. (10 pages)

A growing number of businesses are embarking on their digital journey, including manufacturing-driven companies. Digital technologies such as automation, robots, advanced analytics, the Internet of Things, virtual reality, 3D printing and more have the potential to transform factories. This paper, written by Nikhil Padhi, answers some relevant questions that plants may face during planning and execution. (8 pages)

The CSA's Internet of Things Working Group and the Blockchain/Distributed Ledger Working Group explore the capabilities of blockchain technology in improving IoT security. This report highlights features that should be considered when securing connected devices using blockchain, provides an overview of the technology and outlines a set of architectural patterns that enable it to be used to secure IoT capabilities. (26 pages)

This white paper, from the European Telecommunications Standards Institute, GlobalPlatform and the NFC Forum, provides an overview of the standardized solution defined in the GlobalPlatform Managing Entity specification (GPC ME) and the related HCI and HCI specifications. The architecture, main interfaces and role of the GlobalPlatform Managing Entity are described. (20 pages)

Pervasive Displays discusses how e-paper displays can be built into Internet of Things devices. The bistable nature of e-paper minimizes power consumption with regard to changing display information, and fits with such wireless protocols as BLE and ZigBee, enabling devices to maximize the time they spend in sleep mode. E-paper works well with Near Field Communication since it can run off RF energy scavenged from an NFC reader, enabling battery-less designs. (12 pages)